Job Title: Chief Human Resources Officer
CMR Group of Institutions & Ekya Schools
Location: Bengaluru
Reports To: Group Leadership
About CMR Group:
The CMR Group of Institutions is a unique education conglomerate based in Bangalore, India that offers a wide range of courses from the Montessori / Kindergarten level to Post Graduate and PhD programs. Founded in 1991 to meet the needs of local students, CMR Group currently comprises different brands of schools & colleges namely, CMRIT Bangalore, Ekya Schools, CMR National Colleges & the CMR university which was established in 2013.
Institutions: 20+ | Programs: 80+ | Students: 18000+
About Ekya Schools:
Founded in 2010, Ekya Schools offers progressive K-12 education through CBSE, ICSE, and Cambridge IGCSE curricula, emphasizing experiential learning. Alongside Ekya Schools, our chain of CMR Pre-University Colleges deliver an extensive pre-university program affiliated with the Karnataka Pre-University Board, offering a rigorous academic curriculum and a well-rounded learning experience. Drawing from the rich legacy of the CMR Group, we nurture lifelong learners equipped to thrive in a dynamic and evolving world.
This year, we have launched our first Purpose-Based Schools, thematic schools where students develop specialized skills from an early age. The first, Ekya Nava, focuses on Innovation, Creativity, and Design, empowering students to become future technopreneurs, innovators, and changemakers. Ekya Vana is a nature-inspired, purpose-driven school within Ekya Schools that reimagines learning as a living ecosystem rooted in sustainability, curiosity, compassion, and real-world impact. It blends inquiry-led, interdisciplinary academics (IGCSE & IB) with immersive pathways in People & Planet, Earth Care, Living Systems, and Energy & Innovation shaping creative thinkers, responsible stewards, and future change-makers.
Role Overview
We are seeking a strategic HR leader to partner with institutional leadership across our University and K12 ecosystem to design and execute a future-ready people strategy.
This role blends strategic business partnering, data-driven HR leadership, culture-building, and systems transformation to support rapid growth, academic excellence, and operational sustainability.
Key Responsibilities
1. Strategic Partnership with Institutional Leadership
- Partner with University Deans, Regional Heads, Principals, and School Leaders to ensure HR initiatives directly support growth, enrolment, academic quality, and operational priorities.
- Provide insights on workforce capability, succession planning, leadership pipeline, and organizational design.
- Translate people analytics (turnover, engagement, cost per hire, training investment, regretted attrition) into actionable strategies.
- Coach senior leaders using a pragmatic, data-led, solutions-focused approach.
- Advise on complex employee relations matters including grievances, disciplinary processes, and performance interventions.
- Ensure workforce planning aligns with expansion plans, new program launches, and new school growth.
2. Systems, Governance & HR Transformation
- Drive adoption and optimization of modern HRIS platforms across University and K12 campuses.
- Act as People Data Steward ensuring accuracy, governance, compliance, and integrity of employee lifecycle data.
- Modernize HR processes across recruitment, onboarding, performance, development, and exit management.
- Ensure compliance with Indian labour laws, education regulatory requirements, and institutional governance standards.
- Collaborate with Finance and Central leadership on compensation structures and benefits frameworks.
- Lead HR transformation projects including automation, policy standardization, and change initiatives.
3. Safer Recruitment & Talent Acquisition Excellence
- Establish rigorous, compliant, and transparent safer recruitment practices across all campuses.
- Build a strong employer brand positioning CMR University and Ekya Schools as employers of choice.
- Embed diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) principles across hiring practices.
- Use recruitment analytics to improve attraction quality, selection efficiency, and retention outcomes.
- Ensure leadership hiring reflects institutional ambition and cultural standards.
4. Performance Development & Talent Growth
- Drive a consistent, high-quality performance management framework focused on goal alignment, continuous feedback, and measurable impact.
- Lead structured talent review and succession planning processes across academic and non-academic teams.
- Design leadership development pathways for Principals, Deans, and high-potential educators.
- Ensure high-performing and high-potential employees have documented, trackable development plans.
- Maintain strong internal mobility frameworks to retain institutional knowledge and reduce regretted attrition.
5. Recognition, Reward & Financial Sustainability
- Design compensation and recognition frameworks aligned with market benchmarks and institutional budgets.
- Partner with Finance to execute annual compensation reviews.
- Recognize and celebrate high-impact teaching, research, innovation, and operational excellence.
- Ensure reward philosophy balances performance, retention, and long-term financial sustainability.
6. Employee Experience & Culture Building
- Lead employee engagement surveys and translate insights into structured action plans.
- Champion wellbeing initiatives across campuses, addressing both physical and mental health.
- Foster a culture of belonging across diverse academic communities.
- Support new campus onboarding, institutional expansion, and organizational transformation.
- Embed cultural awareness and inclusive leadership practices across all schools and faculties.
Key Skills & Competencies
- Strategic HR Business Partnering
- Commercial & Financial Acumen
- Workforce Planning & Organizational Design
- People Analytics & Data Interpretation
- Talent Management & Succession Planning
- Performance Development Frameworks
- Employee & Labour Relations
- HRIS & Systems Transformation
- Change Management
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Leadership
- Coaching & Influencing Senior Leaders
- HR Project Management
- Operational HR Excellence
Ideal Profile
- 1218+ years of progressive HR experience
- 5+ years in senior HR leadership
- Experience in education, knowledge institutions, or multi-unit organisations preferred
- Demonstrated success in building or transforming HR systems
- Strong stakeholder management across academic leadership and corporate teams
- Data-driven, tech-forward, and execution-focused
Why This Role Matters
This position is central to moving HR from operational support to strategic advantage across both institutions.
Your leadership will directly influence:
- Faculty quality
- Leadership pipeline strength
- Cultural alignment
- Institutional scalability
- Educational impact on thousands of learners
